Adjustable supporting-clamp.



No. 665,372. Patentedlan. I, I901. A. 'F. ROCKWELL.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING CLAMP.

(Application filed May 9, 1900) (No Modgl.)

NITED TATES ALBERT FENIMORE ROCKWELL, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR 'ATENT FFICE.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTlNG-CLAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,372, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed May 9, 1900. $erial No. 16,101. kNo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LALBERT FENIMORE ROOK- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Supporting-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to signaling or other devices which are provided with means projecting therefrom designed to be actuated by the operator to operate the signal or other device. It particularly relates to a bell designed to be supported upon a vehicle in convenient reach of the hand or foot of the operator, whereby when desired the bell may be sounded to sound an alarm. Bells of this type as now commonly constructed are provided with a radially-projecting lever or push-button which is actuated by the hand, and it is very important that such lever or push-button be capable of being positioned to suit the fancy 0r convenience of different users.

The object of the present invention is to so construct a signaling apparatus that the position of the projectingactuating device may be readily adjusted by the person who is using the same.

To the above end the presentinvention consists of the devices and combinations of devices, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the present invention as embodied in a bell, as that is the most common form of signaling device now used by the riders of bicycles and the like; but it is to be clearly understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to bells.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation a bell designed to be mounted upon the handle-bar of a bicycle and embodying the preferred form of the present invention, also showing the handle-bar in section. Fig. 2 shows a vertical section taken upon the line 2 2 in Fig. 3, with the gong shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 shows a top plan .view of the base of the bell, showing the clamp in dotted lines, also showing a portion of the handle bar. Fig. 4 shows an inverted plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3, the handle-bar being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2 looking toward the left, and Fig. 6 shows in perspective the band forming a portion of the clamp.

Similar reference-letters will be employed throughout the specification and drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A designates the bell as a whole, which comprises a gong a, a base I), and a laterally or radially projecting actuating device 0, which is adapted to be engaged by the operator and moved to operate the bell A to sound the alarm or signal. This actuating device 0 may be of any form dependent upon the form of the gong-sounding mechanism, and in the form shown, which illustrates a well-known type of bell, such actuating device consists of a lever pivoted within the base b and projecting through a cut-away portion I) of the base, it being provided outside of said base with a thumb-piece b and within the base it is operatively connected with thegong-sounding mechanism. (Notshown) The bell A is supported upon a suitable support, usually the handle-bar B of a bicycle, it being held fixedly thereon by means of a clamp C.

In the present invention the adjustment of the position of the thumb-piece b is secured by adjusting the gong and its base with relation to the clamp C, and the arrangement is such that when the clamp is tightened to secure the fixed position of the bell on the support or handle-bar B the bell will be immovably clamped and held from turning with relation to its clamp C.

As shown in the drawings, the clamp Ccomprises a circular plate 0, which will be hereinafter called the clampplate, which is fitted in a recess 0 formed by stamping up the bottom of the base 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The wall of the recess c is of such a shape that it forms a shoulder c and above said shoulder a horizontal flange c and within the angle formed by the shoulder and flange the clamp-plate c of the clamp is arranged to fit, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. The clampplate is slightly less in diameter than that portion of the wall of the recess 0 formed by the shoulder 0 (see Fig. 4,) and is arranged to have a slight movement therein in aplane parallel to the bottom of the base for a purpose to be described. The clamp-plate c is held in the recess by means of a plate 0 which may be mounted upon a rivet fixed in the bottom of the base I) or, as shown in the drawings, upon thereduced portion (2 of the post 6', the lower end of the post being upset or headed, as at 6 below the plate 0 The post 6' is fixedly mounted concentrically in the bottom of the base I) and projects upwardly therefrom a sufficient distance to form a support for the gong to. The clamp-plate c is held between the plate 0 and theshoulder 6 formed on the post 6, the aperture 0 formed in said plate being slightly larger in diameter than the reduced portion of the'post,

so that said plate may move in the recess, as

hereinbefore described, or the base may move with relation to the clamp-plate.

Projecting downwardly from the'bottom of the clamp-plate c is a box-like frame a, said frame being of such a length and depth as to cover and protect the connections of the clamp-band 0 as will be noted in Figs. 1 and band 0 is arranged to be connected at one end to a downturned hook 0 formed on the plate 0 and at its opposite end said band is offset and provided with an opening 0 through which passes a headed clampingscrew which is received in a threaded bushing or sleeve 0, fixedly secured to the clamping-plate c and depending therefrom within the frame 0. (See Fig. 2.)

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the bell and its base may be turned with relation to its clamp O to position the actuating device or thumb-piece b at the point desired. After the bell has been so positioned the setting up of the screw 0 in its bushing c tightens the clamp-band c arouud the handle-bar B. The tendency of the strain thus placed upon the band 0 is to draw forward on the hook c of the plate 0 which acts to move the said plate and the rivet or post, together with the gong and base, forward over the clamp-plate 0, such movement being permitted by the slot c ,and to forcibly bring the left-hand portion of said plate, as shown in the drawings, in contact with the shoulder 0 thus tightly clamping the bell to the handlebar and at the same time preventing the bell from turning on its clamp.

It will be noted that the clamping of the is necessary to do is to loosen the screw 0 and graspihgthe bell'A turn it upon its clamp O to bring the th u mb-piece b at the desired point, when upon setting up the screw the bell will be fixed both as to movement on the handlebar and on the clamp.

The fixingofthegong inits adjusted position is obtained by bringing the clamp-plate at one side in engagement with the shoulder c by the sliding movement of the base on the mitting an axial adjustment of the base'on ithe clamp-plate and also a relative sliding movement of'the base and clamp-plate and a jshoulder or stop for limiting the lateral slid- {ing movement, with means for forcing the clamp-plate and shoulder or stoptogether.

Having described the construction and .mode of. operation of my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Lette-rsPat ent of the UnitedStatesl. The combination with abase, ofa clampplate, means for connecting the base and clamp-plate so as to permit a relative axial and sliding movement of said base and plate,

a shoulder or stop carried by the base in po-- sition to engage the clamp-plate, aclampingband connected at one end to the base and a screw carried by the clamp-plate and engaging'the opposite end of the clamping-band, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a-bicycle-bell comprisinga base havinga recess in its underside, of a clamp comprising a clampingplate slightly less in diameter than the recess in the base and movably fitted therein, a'clamping-band connected at one end to a plateimmovably connected with the-base,and a'clamp screwengaging the opposite end of the band and fitted to a threaded bearing in the clamping-plate, substantially as described.

3. The combination with-a bicycle-bell having a baseprovided with a circular recess in its under side, of a clamp comprising a circular plate of less diameter than the recess and fitted in said recess, means permitting the bell-base to be turned with relation to its clamp and also to have a slight sliding movement with relation to the clamping-plate, a clam ping-band connected at one end to the clamp-plate, which shoulder acts astop to .jlimitthe relative sliding movement of the ?base and clamp-plate, and while'in' the accompanying drawings I have shown the clamp-- gplate as-circular in form and'ashoulder or stop as formedb y acircular depression'formed in the base, which is the best andipreferred form now known to me, I desire to state that thepresent in'ventioni's not limited to-such 5a construction, but includes'all forms ofadj ustable'clam'ps which embody means for per-- be11-base,aclemp boxsnpportedbytheclampto this specification in the presence of two ing-plate and having curved seats to rest on subscribing witnesses. the handle-bar of a bicycle, and a clampingscrew carried by the clamping-plate and en- ALBER'I FENIMORE ROCKWELL 5 gaging the opposite end of the clamping-band Witnesses:

substantially as described. ROGER S. NEWELL, In Witness whereof I have signed my name ALICE E. BROWN. 

